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Written by Edward Bloor. Tangerine is an unforgettable story with strong, believable characters and an interesting plot. --Reviewed by Kristina Miranda Haunted by a disturbing incident in his past, soccer player Paul Fisher begins to build a new life for himself when his family moves from Texas to Tangerine, Florida. Forever under the shadow of his older brother, a high school football star, Paul is forced to deal with his personal struggles and accomplishments all on his own.
It is a stupid book with a crapy plot that stinks. I gave this item 1 star, I would give it - infinity stars but it only goes down to one.
I don't understand why some people gave it 5 stars. please DO NOT buy this book.
Tangerine is one of my summer reading books. If it was up to me, I would do both.
They must be crazy. When ever I have to read it, it feels like a chore, but I would much rather prefer cleaning out my hamster's filthy poopy cage anytime than reading this awful novel.
After read the first 75 pages I wasn't sure what I wanted to do more, barf out all my intestines or set the book on fire while I danced around it and celebrated.
It looks at the struggle of Paul to find an identity as an adolescent who is often overshadowed by others. Whenever something bad happens around Tangerine, Erik seems to be nearby. He plays goalie, a position at which he feels comfortable, despite his disability. He feels that even though his vision is impaired, he sees things more clearly than other people. Paul and Erik's parents, especially their father, are obsessed with Erik's football career, leading Paul to derisively label it as "The Erik Fisher Football Dream" in his thoughts.Paul enjoys sports as well, although his favorite sport is soccer. His parents told him that he stared at an eclipse as a child, but the story doesn't add up.Paul quickly realizes that nothing is as it seems in Tangerine. Paul ultimately finds a comfort zone at Tangerine Middle, even as things around him become increasingly chaotic. Tangerine by Edward Bloor is one of my favorite young adult novels, so this year I decided to try it as a read-aloud.
He lives in a seemingly pristine development of McMansions surrounding a man-made lake, but it is plagued by many strange occurrences. This is especially true in regards to his brother Erik. While this doesn't bother him at all, he sees ugly ideas about race and social class from some of his friends and family. Paul decides to transfer from the wealthy, mostly white Lake Windsor Middle School to the poorer, mostly minority Tangerine Middle School. A muck fire burns just outside the perimeter wall, the expensive koi are disappearing from the lake, and one house is repeatedly struck by lighting. Most of my students followed with interest, although I'm not sure how well all of them were able to truly grasp the multiple layers of the novel.Tangerine tells the story of Paul Fisher, a 12-year-old moving with his family to Tangerine, Florida. Paul lives with his parents and his older brother, Erik, who is a senior in high school. It satirizes the supposedly idyllic life of new developments, as well as the culture of youth sports, in which talent can trump character.
Paul notices Erik's strange emotional reactions to events. Where everyone else sees a fine young man and a star football player, Paul sees other things that are far less unpleasant. The captain of the football team is killed by a lightning strike during practice. It looks at the juxtaposition of social classes that is common in so many areas, where the lives of the rich and the poor who live close together usually intersect only infrequently.
It touches on so many things. But most of all, it goes into the importance of looking beneath the surface. Houses in Paul's neighborhood are burglarized, people are attacked, and Erik seems to Paul to be increasingly unstable.Tangerine has such a complex (but still easy to follow) story that it is hard to do it justice in a short summary. Erik is a star kicker on the football team with his eye set on a football scholarship to a major university.
Paul also starts to have flashbacks, thinking that Erik was somehow involved in the mysterious accident that affected his vision.The main part of the story occurs after the sinkhole incident. Also, part of Paul's middle school is swallowed up by a sinkhole.The idea that nothing is as it appears in not a new one to Paul. Paul is legally blind as a result of a mysterious accident when he was younger. Strange things also begin happening outside the development.
It also swerves between realistic and fantastic in its treatment of the characters and their world. I had high expectations for this book for my 13-year old son and I, based on the reviews. Knowing what it would be, I would have gotten it for the two of us, but never have read it as an adult on my own. Arguably the author tried to cram too many books into this one story --- it's a bit "jack-of-all-trades master of none." On the other hand, the story has interesting characters and settings, more to it than many teen reads, and a fairly compelling narrative momentum. It fell a bit short of mine, but met or exceeded his. The tale of this dysfunctional family has "messages" about lots of issues --- the environment, sports hero worship, race and class discrimination, suburban sprawl --- and it can be heavy-handed in conveying the (worthy) messages it sends.
I do think if you read this book you will NOT be upset, whether you're a young adult, or older teenager, or even an adult. The book takes you into it from the first page, and keeps you involved all the way through. I don't think I can explain very well. What can I say in this that I haven't said in the title. It hits home and it just makes you want to keep reading and reading it until you have finished it.Very much recommended. and it is still a perfect book. This book was so great as a kid that I had to reread it now as I'm older (20, anyway.). It's got a great story, with great characters, and it's really well written.
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